Tangy, spiced, crunchy and tasty stuffed Mirchi Bajji. These delicious Chilli Bajji are also known as Mirapakaya Bajji in Andhra and is a well known street food there.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 25 minutes
  • Total time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Snacks, Starters
  • Cuisine: Andhra, Indian Street Food, South Indian

Ingredients

  • 200 grams green chillies ((bajji mirchi) or 8 to 9 large green chillies, seeds removed)
  • 1.5 cups gram flour ((besan))
  • ¼ cup Rice Flour
  • ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 pinch asafoetida ((hing))
  • ½ teaspoon carom seeds ((ajwain))
  • ⅛ teaspoon baking soda (or 2 to 3 pinches baking soda)
  • salt (as per taste)
  • 1 cup water (or add as required)
  • 1.5 tablespoons cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt (or add as per taste)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice (or add as per taste)
  • ½ cup chopped onions (or 1 medium-sized)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
  • ⅛ teaspoon red chilli powder (or 2 to 3 pinches red chilli powder or cayenne pepper)
  • ½ teaspoon chaat masala powder
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt (or 2 to 3 pinches salt or add as required)
  • oil (as required - for deep frying)

Method

Preparation

  1. Rinse the large green chillies or 8 to 9 bajji mirchi very well in water. Then wipe dry each green chilli and keep aside.
  2. With a small knife or a paring knife, slit one side of the green chilli. Do keep the stems on the green chillies.
  3. Now with the handle of a small spoon, remove the seeds and pith of the green chillies.

Making stuffing 1

  1. In a small bowl take the cumin powder. Add 1 teaspoon salt or add as per taste.
  2. Add lemon juice and mix to a smooth paste.
  3. With a small spoon stuff the cumin powder, lemon juice and salt mixture in each green chilli. Keep the stuffed green chillies aside.

Making batter

  1. Take gram flour and rice flour in a mixing bowl.
  2. Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida and carom seeds (ajwain). Also add baking soda and salt as per taste.
  3. Add 1 cup water in parts.
  4. Adding water in parts begin to mix to a thick batter. Depending on the quality of besan you can add ¾ to 1 cup water.
  5. Mix to a smooth and thick batter.

Frying mirchi bajji

  1. Heat oil for deep frying in a kadai. Test a tiny portion of the batter in the oil. It should come up steadily and gradually. If it stays at the bottom, then the oil is not hot enough. If it comes up too quickly, then the oil has become very hot.
  2. Now hold the stuffed green chilli with its stem and place in the batter.
  3. Coat the green chilli evenly with the batter.
  4. Place the batter coated green chillies in the hot oil. Do not over crowd the pan or kadai with the green chillies. Fry on medium heat.
  5. When one side is light golden, then gently turn over the stuffed chilli bajji and continue to fry.
  6. Turn over a couple of times and fry till the chilli bajji are golden and crisp.
  7. Remove the crisp and golden fried chilli bhajji with a slotted spoon.
  8. Place fried chilli bajji on kitchen paper towels to remove extra oil. Fry the remaining mirchi bajji in batches in a similar manner.

Making stuffing 2

  1. In a small bowl take ½ cup chopped onions and 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves.
  2. Add red chilli powder, chaat masala powder and ⅛ teaspoon salt (2 to 3 pinches salt or add salt as per taste).
  3. Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice and mix very well.

Serving mirapakaya bajji

  1. When the mirchi bajji are still hot or warm, take each bajji and cut it from one side.
  2. With a spoon place the onion and spices stuffing in each green chilli.
  3. Serve Mirapakaya Bajji straightaway with evening chai.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.